


Slight Error of Judgement

by Theavengingavengers



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: :////, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst with a Happy Ending, Avengers Family, Avengers Tower, Canon Divergence - Avengers (2012), Domestic Avengers, Engagement, Get Together, Happy Ending, I'm so sad they cancelled the mcu after Avengers (2012), M/M, Post-Avengers (2012), Team as Family, but hey now we can pretend that the team moved in with tony and lived happily ever after, endgame who??? endgame what????, except they are all dramatic and gay so thats unrealistic, it couldve been so much but alas, re get together?, they are all loving and supportive of each other, tony and steve are dumb and gay and STILL don't know how to communicate properly, well kinda, well what do u expect they're all traumatized harold
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-03
Updated: 2019-06-03
Packaged: 2020-04-07 10:40:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19083370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Theavengingavengers/pseuds/Theavengingavengers
Summary: Tony and Steve get engaged! Except...of course nothing is ever that simple.In which there is a misunderstanding, Natasha is frustrated, Fury is angry, Steve and Tony are self-destructive, and everyone else is trying to figure out what just happened.





	Slight Error of Judgement

Clint carefully nudged the door open, peeking into Nat’s room. Seeing Nat, Bruce, and Thor already sitting on or around Nat’s bed, he let himself in, making his way toward everyone, who glanced up at him with matching bleak expressions on their faces. Nat spoke up first, grimly turning to face Clint. “How bad is it?”

Clint’s face probably told them all they need to know, but he answered anyway. “Tony’s locked himself in the lab and refuses to come out or even see anyone. JARVIS overrode all our access codes and says he is forbidden from saying anything regarding Tony’s wellbeing. I don’t know the last time he’s eaten, or if he even can get food in his lab,” he muttered off topic, trailing off anxiously, before continuing. “Steve…well, he’s Steve. He’s gone. He ran away, left the tower, going god knows where. Probably to fight crime on his own or something.” Clint slumped against the wall, running his hands through his hair in frustration. “God, what are we going to  _do_?”

Bruce shook his head sadly. “I don’t think there’s anything we _can_ do, to be honest. Tony is very…stubborn. If something’s convinced him that this was the right course of action, there’s nothing we can do to change his mind.”

Thor, who had been uncharacteristically quiet and staring at the wall with a clenched jaw up until this point, suddenly spoke up. “Does anyone happen to know what it was that actually _happened_?” Everyone shook their heads helplessly, and Thor stood up abruptly and stalked over to stare out of one of the windows.

Natasha spoke up. “Let’s think about what we do know. Steve and Tony were perfectly fine until just now. They fought, Steve said ‘it’s over’ as he walked out, and Tony locked himself in his lab. They’re evidently not together anymore. But why?”

A silence fell over the room, the somber atmosphere sinking all the way into everyone’s bones. Nat swallowed heavily, blinking a lot, her brows furrowed, in a gesture that Clint knew meant she was trying not to show that she was upset. He walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, and she dropped her head.

Thor’s voice broke through the silent reverie. “We have got to do _something_!” he bit out, body tense. No one replied. They all knew there was nothing they could do.

 

* * *

 

To everyone’s surprise, the first of the infamously stubborn two they saw was Tony. After two weeks of presumably very little to no food, they caught him in the kitchen eating a slice of pizza with one shaking hand and holding a cup of coffee in the other, then promptly lunging to the nearest trash can to throw it up. Nat sat with him and soothingly rubbed his back while he cried tears of frustration next to the trash can, head resting on the edge, and Clint sat on his other side, leaning into Tony. Thor was gently stroking Tony’s hair, while Bruce finished cleaning up the pieces of the broken cup Tony had dropped on his desperate lurch to the trash can.

Tony looked terrible. There were circles under his eyes darker than anything they had ever seen on him. He was shaking, and horribly pale, and the redness of his eyes stood out starkly against the pallor of his face. He was thinner than the last time they saw him, looking almost gaunt, and Clint and Natasha shared a worried look over his head.

Tony rubbed his eyes and mumbled apologies while trying to unsteadily get to his feet. “I’m sorry, sorry, I should just go back, I don’t know why I came out here,” he started but was cut off by Natasha.

“Tony,” she interrupted gently, far more gently than anyone had thought her capable. He didn’t look at her.

“Tony, it’s okay. No, stop getting up, sit down.  Thor, bring a blanket here, yes, that one. Tony. Tony, look at me.” Finally, he glanced up, trying to force a brave smile. “I’m fine Tasha, really, I just need to get back-“

“Over my dead body, Stark.” Tony flinched back in surprise, and Nat made her voice softer. “We’re here for you, Tony. You don’t have to pretend with us.”

Bruce chimed in. “It’s okay, Tony. We want to help.”

Tony’s lips wavered, and he looked down, his eyes suspiciously bright. He suddenly all but collapsed sideways into Thor, who had brought the blanket to the shivering Tony and wrapped it around him and sat down right next to him.

Tony let out a harsh sob and curled into himself. He looked like he was trying to physically hold himself together. Nat started gently running her fingers through his hair while Clint put his head on Tony’s shoulder. Thor sat behind Tony, letting the devastated man lean against him, and Bruce finished throwing away the shards and sat down next to Thor. They were in the middle of the kitchen, Tony in the middle of the pile they made around him, shaking. They sat there, providing whatever support and comfort they could.

They sat there until Tony’s sobs finally died down. Now, Clint was laying in Tony’s lap, and Tony had his head on Nat’s shoulder while one hand was being held by Bruce. Nat was massaging Tony’s scalp gently and Thor was humming a soothing melody, sometimes even singing along. He had an angelic voice, and whenever he would actually choose to sing, everyone was mesmerized. The god was still sitting behind Tony, his head resting on the genius’s shoulder, and Bruce was right next to him, holding Tony’s arm, with Thor’s arm draped over his shoulders.

By the time Tony’s shaking had subsided, they were all beyond worried. Before Tony could start with his self-deprecating jokes and trying to wave what just happened away, Nat was coaxing him to drink some water and eat some apple sauce, and even though he weakly grumbled, he obeyed without question. Clint, meanwhile, had cleaned Tony’s face off with a warm, damp cloth, and Thor was gently rubbing his shoulders while Bruce did his best to unobtrusively check his pulse to make sure his organs weren’t at risk at shutting down. After a cleared throat and a quiet “Thanks, guys. I owe you a bunch,” and all of them quickly shutting that down, Nat helped him up and led him to his room, made him take some sleeping pills, and tucked him into bed. He collapsed into it, exhausted, and after she kissed his forehead and moved his hair from his face, she made sure he was passed out and comfortable, turned off the light and left.

She went downstairs to where everyone else had gathered in the living room, talking in hushed voices. Thor noticed her first. “How is he?”

Nat sighed. “Sleeping. I put him to bed.”

She collapsed in between Thor and Bruce, putting her feet in Bruce’s lap, who immediately started massaging them, and dropping her head on Thor’s shoulder. “I don’t get paid enough for this,” she groaned. Bruce smiled at her self-deprecatingly “None of us get paid, Nat. For some reason, we choose to provide our invaluable services for free.”

She blew hair out of her face and sighed deeply. “That is exactly my point, Bruce.” There was a moment of silence as they all tried to process what just happened.

Clint frowned, looking really frustrated before he spoke up. “None of that seemed like the behavior of someone who willingly broke up with his boyfriend because he was unhappy in the relationship.”

Everyone was quiet for a moment, silently agreeing. Bruce frowned. “Are you saying he was...forced? Coerced?”

“I’m saying it’s a possibility!” Clint bit out, looking incredibly frustrated.  “None of this makes any sense. They looked so happy, why would they break up?”

Bruce frowned, thoughtful. “In our line of work? It’s possible. But unlikely. Who would be powerful enough, frightening enough to scare Tony into doing something like this? And what for? It’s just not adding up properly, there are too many variables unaccounted for.”

Natasha spoke up next. “Maybe they threatened Steve or one of us. You know how Tony is with the people he loves.”

“But I thought he was past that. He would’ve told us. He’s a genius, he would’ve figured out a way,” Clint protested, then shook his head miserably. “That’s also why none of this makes any goddamn sense. Tony _loves_ Steve. That’s like a universal constant. No matter where you go, Tony loves Steve. He practically worships the man, and I know for a fact that Steve feels the same way, which brings me to the main question: what the hell is going on? There was nothing even _hinting_ at a breakup, and Nat and I are super cool super spies, so we should know. They were planning their future together, for Christ’s sake.”

They all looked at each other, frustrated and confused but not knowing what to do. “This is a disaster of the highest magnitude,” Thor finally muttered glumly. Everyone couldn’t help but agree.

 

* * *

 

Their encounter with Steve didn’t go much better. By that point, Tony had locked himself in his lab again, diving into work, but this time he at least let one of them in once every day to deliver him food and stay and chat for a while. They had tried to get some answers as to what happened, but every time they even brushed the topic with a ten-foot pole he would tense up and shut down so they stopped trying. They did manage to get a promise that he wasn’t forced or in any way coerced into this out of him, but that left them with no leads and no ideas.

The only thing they could do was wait until Steve came back and then, in time, try to get them to at least talk to each other, and work together. Maybe even become friends again. It wasn’t only a break up of a romantic relationship, but one of a beautiful friendship as well.

Steve came through the door three weeks after he had left, shaking like a leaf, covered in blood, and absolutely terrifying the team, who had been trying to watch a movie. He looked absolutely wrecked. He was covered in dirt along with blood, and his jaw had the stubborn tilt to it which they knew only mean trouble. He let Natasha patch up his wounds but snapped at anyone for trying to do even the smallest bit more. His jaw was clenched, teeth gritted, his whole body tense and ready to flee at any moment. He was on edge, but oddly still at the same time, looking around as if something was going to jump out at him at any moment.

He ended up lashing out at Clint for trying to clean the dirt off him, at which point Nat had enough. She gave Steve the tongue lashing of his life, after which all the fight seemed to leave him, and he remained quiet as they finished taking care of him, looking at them with wary eyes. He was fingering something in the pocket of his ratty bulletproof jacket (that Tony had made him as part of his new costume, Nat remembered), but took his hand out when he saw that Nat noticed. Nat narrowed her eyes, but let it slide for now. They finished cleaning him up, and when Natasha looked up she saw that he had tears in his eyes.

“Oh Steve,” she sighed, and he hung his head.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a choked voice. “I shouldn’t be taking this out on any of you, it’s not your fault. I’m just...I don’t know how I am, actually,” he continued, voice cracking on the last word. “Angry? Sad? None of it seems quite right,” he whispered.

Natasha stroked his hair, and he leaned into it.

“It’s okay,” Clint spoke up. “You don’t have to know, Steve. This is a bad situation that no one knows how to deal with.”

Steve rubbed his eyes angrily. “I don’t...I don’t know what I _did_! Because I must’ve done something, right? Why else would he...would he...” his voice choked off, and he buried his head in his hands. “God,” he whispered. “Four years. We spent four years together, and now...I don’t know how to live without him. I don’t know if I _want_ to live without him,” he confessed quietly, his voice muffled by his hands.

The rest of the team shared a startled and scared look over his head. “Steve,” Clint began hesitantly. “It doesn’t have to mean you never talk to him again. The kind of love you two shared- it could carry on into a close friendship, easily. I just...it doesn’t have to be the end, you know?” Steve looked up at him, looking so distraught it pulled at his heartstrings. “But I’m still in love with him, Clint. I think I always will be,” he confessed quietly. “I don’t think I could survive being just friends with him.”

Clint looked at everyone helplessly. Abruptly, Steve stood, breathing heavily, not looking at anyone. “I’m sorry,” he said, without turning around. “I just...I need some time.” His body was tense as if expecting a fight, expecting to be denied, but Natasha just nodded. “Okay,” she said quietly, and his shoulders slumped. He seemed to be in a slight daze. He nodded and made an aborted move forward. He hesitated. “If you need me,” he began, taking a deep breath and looking back at them. “If you need me. I’ll be there.” Natasha caught his eye searchingly, and seemingly satisfied, nodded. Steve exhaled and closed his eyes. “One more thing. Please...um, take care of him, please.”

“Okay,” Clint agreed steadily. Steve nodded, as if expecting that, and walked back out. Natasha shared a look with the rest, and in an uncharacteristic show of frustration, ran a hand through her hair.

“I don’t know what to do,” she confessed quietly, helplessly. Clint looked on the verge of tears himself, while Bruce was running his fingers through Thor’s hair in a desperate attempt to calm both of them. For the first time ever, the Avengers felt truly hopeless.

 

* * *

 

The first mission with all the Avengers after the breakup was an absolute disaster. Thankfully, no one died, but on several occasions, it came close, far too close for anyone’s comfort. The level of damage and injuries had everyone irritated and on edge as they marched sullenly to the debriefing room.

It was only about a month after the breakup, and tensions were running high throughout the team. Captain America and Iron Man, instead of working together seamlessly like usual, had been a disaster. They went out of their way to avoid each other, to not talk or even look at each other, and because of that they couldn’t perform some of their signature moves. They gave contradicting orders, refused to communicate what was going on, and overall were insufferable to work with. Natasha had half a mind to slap them both to get it through their thick heads that there were lives at stake here, that this was above their breakup. Maybe she would, after this meeting where she was sure Fury would tear them a new one.

She sighed and tuned out Fury’s yelling as she observed her boys. Natasha loved them both, she really did, but right now she had half a mind to throttle them. This whole month the team had spent trying to figure out what happened, comforting both boys whenever needed, and trying to somehow mend bridges between them, though that was a lost cause from the start. They were both insufferably stubborn.

Natasha winced internally, knowing that look Steve was giving the wall. He was about to explode, and it wasn’t going to be pretty. She hoped Fury finished quickly so she would get a chance to cool him down before he burned down everything in his path of destruction. Or at least, that’s what she thought he would do, so she was as surprised as everyone when Steve stood up suddenly, and in a steady, calm voice, declared “I quit.”

Everyone stared at him in shock and Tony started.

“You can’t quit!” he protested. “Hey, if this is because of me-“

Steve cut him off by leveling him with a look of such fury and pain that Tony physically flinched and sunk down in his seat. Steve’s voice was cold. “Goodbye,” he said evenly and turned on his heel. Absently, Nat noticed that he had left his jacket, but she was still reeling from what just happened to pay it any mind. At least until Tony made a choked, pained noise that sounded almost inhuman, his eyes fixed on the floor right beneath it.

Moving as if he was in a trance, he got up from his seat and dropped down next to the jacket, Steve’s jacket, and picked up a small, navy blue, velvet box.

Natasha’s heart dropped to her knees as she realized what it was. She looked up and saw everyone looking at Tony with a look of absolute horror as they realized the ramifications of this new information.

“Oh no,” Tony said, in a heartbroken voice so quiet they only heard it because it was dead silent in the room. Tony was oddly still, his eyes disbelieving as he carefully popped open the box, and his hand flew to his mouth as if burned when he saw the ring inside. You could hear a pin drop in the room, and everyone was frozen in shock.

At that moment the door burst open and Steve stood there, looking frenzied. “Sorry, I forgot my jacke-“ he started, voice cutting off as his eyes fell on Tony, sitting in the middle of the room with the ring. The energy seemed to drain from him as he paled, looking like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

“You weren’t supposed to find that,” he supplied, looking defeated. “I just didn’t know what to do with it.”

Tony just stared at him, his fists white as he clutched the box with the ring. “You were going to propose,” he whispered, looking horrified.

Steve closed his eyes. It wasn’t a question, but he nodded anyway. “It’s moot now, of course,” he started but was interrupted by Tony suddenly jumping to his feet. Tony swallowed heavily, throat working, and glanced at the ring, then back at Steve.

“Steve,” he whispered, slowly moving toward him. The rest of the people in the room seemed to be holding their breaths, not knowing what was coming, not having anything to say. “Steve,” he repeated, more urgently this time, and Steve finally looked up at him.

“Steve, oh my god, Steve, I thought you were going to break up with me.”

Steve jerked back as if slapped, looking at Tony incredulously. “What? Why on earth would you think that?”

Tony’s eyes were shining, and he laughed in a way that seemed both desperate and a bit hysterical. “You were being distant,” he began. “You didn’t want to spend any time with me. You acted jittery and uncomfortable around me, constantly in another place in your head. _And,_ and this is a pretty big one, you started the conversation with ‘Tony, we need to talk.’ What was I supposed to think?”

Some understanding dawned in Steve’s eyes. “So you broke up with me before I got the chance to, to hurt you? You thought it was me, what? Growing bored of you instead of pre-proposal jitters?”

Tony nodded frantically, making an aborted move toward Steve. “I honestly can’t begin to say just how sorry I am. I am so, so, so so so sosososo sorry, I swear I didn’t want to break up with you, this month has been an absolute nightmare sludge from hell, but obviously I understand if you don’t want anything to do with me-“ he rambled, but was cut off by Steve swallowing heavily and stepping closer to Tony, until they were only a foot apart. Tony’s words dried up in his mouth as he looked up hesitantly at Steve.

“I’m still so, incredibly, majorly, pissed, got that?” Steve murmured. Tony nodded frantically. “But,” he continued, looking at Tony with a soft expression on his face. “I also probably should’ve expected this.” Tony started a righteous sound of protest but cut off midway and shrugged.

 “For future reference,” Tony began hesitantly, “never, ever assume that I know what’s going on. And take everything I say with a grain of salt.”

“Understood,” Steve whispered, “and _you_ need to let me finish my sentences, alright?”

Tony looked up at him with wide eyes, looking cautiously hopeful as Steve moved so close that their foreheads were nearly touching.

“So,” Steve said, suddenly grinning cheekily. “Do I get to finish my speech now?”

Steve took Tony’s hands and pressed their foreheads together. Tony stopped breathing.

“Do you still want to?” Tony whispered shakily.

Steve nodded, smiling at him softly. “I do,” he said.

Tony cleared his throat. “Then yes, I will marry you.”

Steve frowned, scowling playfully at Tony. “Come on Tony, what did I just say about letting me finish my sentences?”

Tony’s eyes were sparkling with mirth as he looked up at Steve. “Sorry, sorry, go on.”

Steve squinted at him suspiciously before clearing his throat. “Anyway, as I was about to say-“

“Yes,” Tony interrupted

“BEFORE I WAS SO RUDELY INTERRUPTED-“

“Yes.”

“Anthony Edward Stark if you don’t let me finish I’m taking it back.”

Tony laughed this time, eyes widening as he said, “No you can’t, no take backs.”

Steve sighed and made a move as to pull away, but Tony laughed harder and grabbed his hand, pulling him back. “Okay, okay, I get it, I’m sorry, god. You can finish now.”

Steve squinted at him some more. “You sure you’re done now?”

“Yes. Okay, now I’m done.”

Steve sighed in frustration but looked at Tony with a look of extreme fondness. “Fine, just, will you marry me?”

Tony was silent for a moment, making a show out of looking hesitant and doubting, and Steve looked at him with an expression of utter exasperation. “Tony.”

“Well, look, I was _going to_ say yes but then you were being so rude-“

“ _Tony._ ”

“-and I was thinking, is this what I really want to spend the rest of my life with? Because you kept trying to shut me up and-“

“Tony, I swear to god-“

“Yes! Yes, yes, yes, Steve, a million times yes, obviously, oh my god.”

There was a moment of dead silence before Steve laughed in a sound of pure glee and collapsed into Tony’s arms.

Clint whooped first, and that set off an avalanche of congratulations and celebration.

They looked at each other with unbridled adoration, as Clint crowed in the background “Put it on! The ring! Put it on!” And Tony looked down to see that he was still clutching the ring.

“Put it on,” Steve repeated in a whisper, and Tony reverently took it out, dropping the box to the floor.

“I’m SUCH an idiot,” he muttered to himself. “You put this on me, please,” Tony said suddenly, thrusting the ring into Steve’s arms.

Steve complied with the request, and they both stared at it breathlessly. Time seemed to slow like they were in a little bubble, just enjoying each other’s presence.

Then the spell was broken by Tony leaping onto Steve, wrapping his limbs around him like an octopus as he murmured “Oh god, I’ve missed you so much, so so much Steve you have NO idea.” Steve pressed kisses onto Tony’s head and breathed in the scent of the man he had spent the last month without. “Actually, I think I have a pretty good idea,” he replied.

They heard a dull thud behind them, and slowly turned to see Thor looking elated, Clint with a shit eating grin on his face, Bruce looking at them with incredible joy, and Natasha- Nat had slammed her head onto the table.

“Um,” Tony began uncertainly. “I’m sorry?”

Her head whipped up faster than should’ve been possible. “ _Sorry_ doesn’t cut it,” she hissed, looking angry. “You two are _such_ idiots, you know that? A month! A full month of dealing with idiots who were behaving like two wet rags just because they can’t communicate at all!” she exclaimed. “I swear, you two are lucky I’m relieved it’s over, and that I’m happy for you, otherwise I would’ve killed you two already.” The two idiots wisely remained silent. “Don’t think you’re off the hook though,” she warned. “There will be retribution later.”

They both nodded, and Tony spoke up. “We probably deserve it.”

Steve set Tony down, but they linked their hands.

“I am the glue that holds this team together,” Natasha declared, and everyone nodded in agreement.

Then Fury cleared his throat.

 “Hopefully this means you’re not leaving the Avengers, Captain?” he asked drily, and Steve grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, probably not. I’m not going anywhere,” he declared, looking at Tony with adoration. Tony grinned back.


End file.
